Nelson City Council

About

Renwick House is now part of Nelson Central School and sits on a piece of higher ground adjacent to an excellent playground. A large bougainvillea vine, believed to be nearly as old as the house, sits on the northwest side of the verandah. It is known by locals as the Crinkum Crankum tree as it provided inspiration to Robyn Belton who illustrated a popular children's story written by Margaret Mahy.

History

Renwick House was originally called Newstead, and was a home of Sir David Monro from 1864. Monro was an active member of the Nelson Institute as well as a doctor, famous botanist and politician. Thomas Renwick, another politician and community leader, made it his family home in 1879.  Anne Renwick, the widow and second wife of Thomas Renwick, died in 1937 at age 93 while still resident at Newstead.

In 1939 the Government purchased the 2-acre property comprising Renwick House and surrounding grounds (the back field was then a bowling green), to support the growth of Nelson Central School.

Nelson Central School is now the oldest school in New Zealand still functioning on its original unitary site.  The site of the present Nelson Central School was purchased in 1893 for 1,600 pounds.  The School gained its present name in 1927, with the enrolment of both boys and girls. The newly constituted school was made up of the main building in Nile Street which took Standards 3-6 and two side schools; Brook Street, Standards 1 and 2 and Tasman Street which housed the infants.

The main School building was rebuilt in 1930 and the façade retains all its character today.  In 1996 Renwick House was refurbished, also in character with its original style, and reopened as three classrooms with the teaching resource facilities upstairs. 

Maurice Gee wrote a vivid history of the School in 1978 and has references to Nelson in The World Around the Corner to nearby Centre of New Zealand.

References

• 1878-1978 Nelson Central School - A History by Maurice Gee
• Renwick: the story of a pioneer family / Elisabeth Airey. -  The author, 1979
• Thoroughly a man of the world: a biography of Sir David Monro / Rex E. Wright-St Clair. - Whitcombe and Tombs, 1971
• Nelson notables 1840-1940: a dictionary of regional biography / Max D. Lash. - Nelson Historical Society, 1992
• Nelson City Council cemeteries database

Location

Renwick House is located in Nile Street toward Alton Street.

For more information

For more information on heritage walks and heritage sites please contact Arts and Heritage Adviser.